Alamogordo man killed by train Thursday

By Duane Barbati

dbarbati@alamogordonews.com @DuaneBarbati on Twitter

Posted:
07/18/2013 07:42:35 PM MDT

Law enforcement and Union Pacific Railroad investigators secure a scene in which a pedestrian, 29-year-old Xavier Regalis, of Alamogordo, was struck and killed by a train at about 3 p.m. Thursday afternoon near the First Street railroad crossing. (Michael Johnson/Daily News)

A 29-year-old Alamogordo man was killed Thursday afternoon by a Union Pacific train after he attempted to cross the railroad tracks near the First Street crossing, a police spokesman said.

Detective Sgt. Roger Schoolcraft said Xavier Rigales was walking west to east across the railroad tracks at about 3 p.m. Thursday when the train's cattle guard -- or the front of the train -- struck Regalis.

He said a field deputy from the Office of the Medical Investigator pronounced Rigales dead around 3:20 p.m.

Schoolcraft said detectives believe Rigales didn't hear the approaching train, but added that detectives are still conducting an investigation into the incident.

"The engineer blew the train horn," Schoolcraft said. "Rigales was crossing about 300 feet, or about 100 yards, from the First Street train crossing. It was at the irrigation tunnel that goes under the tracks. We're investigating all the circumstances that led up to him being hit by the train."

Union Pacific Media Director Aaron Hunt confirmed that a Union Pacific train struck Rigales as he attempted to cross the tracks in Alamogordo.

"There were no physical injuries to our train crew," Hunt said. "It's a very sad and impactful incident that took place in Alamogordo. Our hearts go out to the family and friends of Rigales. It's something that, for us at Union Pacific, one fatality is too many. It's something we work very hard to avoid."

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Hunt said Union Pacific is conducting its own investigation into the fatality, in cooperation with local authorities.

"Our train crew has been put in contact with counselors who work with them on incidents like this one to process the different emotions that our train crews go through in dealing with situations like this one. It's a program called peer support," he said. "It's made up of a group of volunteer train engineers and conductors who go through 12 hours of professional counseling each year. We found it to be a very effective way to reach out to our train crews. The volunteers have been through this type of incident. They're very adept at helping their fellow train engineers to appropriately go through the shock of the incident in a healthy way.

Union Pacific has had five railroad crossing accidents in the past six months on its railways in New Mexico and Texas. Prior to that, Union Pacific had no accidents for three years.

It takes a 6,000 ton train traveling at 55 mph more than one mile -- or the length of 18 football fields -- to make a complete stop. By comparison, an automobile traveling 55 mph needs only 200 feet to make a complete stop.

Union Pacific had a fatal accident in Logan and another fatality south of Alamogordo earlier this year. There were also three non-fatal accidents in Duran, one at Snake Tank Road north of Tularosa and another one in El Paso.

On March 15, Baldomero P. Barajas, 60, was killed after he failed to stop for an oncoming Union Pacific train while he drove his company pickup truck across the tracks at Taylor Ranch Road south of Alamogordo.